P is for Pokémon #AtoZChallenge

Gotta catch ’em all! Or in my case, gotta step on ’em all. Each Pokémon creates its signature imprint into the bottom of your foot. They are all truly unique! (For the record, these were a gift from a relative. I did not bring all these tiny toys into my home.)

I do like the Pokémon games, but I’m a few generations behind (haven’t bought one since Sinnoh). We recently gave my daughter a copy of Diamond to play on our old DS, and I enjoy watching her experience the world of Pokémon for the first time. It’s fun to trade, battle, dig underground, and exchange trainer tips with her. Playing is also helping her get better at reading, although sometimes I catch her skipping through the game’s dialogue and later complaining that she’s stuck and doesn’t know what to do next. She’s determined to be a Pokémon master, so I know she’ll figure out a way 🙂

 

T is for Tea Party

Toys from the 80s have come out to play.

It’s time for a tea party!

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I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge for the month of April. The idea is to post every day, except Sundays, and end up with one post for each letter of the alphabet. It’s a good challenge to help me to blog every day.

O is for Oscar

Scram!

I like how everyone on Sesame Street used to just kind of put up with Oscar’s grouchy personality and quirks. He was constantly yelling and slamming his garbage-can lid. It’s a nice message that people will accept you no matter your personality, but I wonder if I also took away the message that I could act like a jerk and get away with it.

Thinking of some of the shows my kids watch today, I wonder how he would be dealt with. Would they have more lectures and interventions to try to make him more socially acceptable? I seem to remember that occasionally happening to Oscar when I was a child watching Sesame Street, but I also remember him getting away with a lot of what would have been described as “unacceptable behavior” if I had dared to follow in his footsteps. I guess it’s a fine line between accepting someone’s character and trying to change a person’s behavior.

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I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge for the month of April. The idea is to post every day, except Sundays, and end up with one post for each letter of the alphabet. It’s a good challenge to help me to blog every day.

Photo Challenge: Vibrant Toys

My new favorite toy that I– I mean, that my kids got for Christmas. These bright plastic beauties have magnets inside, allowing you to create to your imagination’s content. It’s mostly rocket ships, Milennium Falcons, and TIE fighters, but we’ll also build houses for other toys. Sometimes a whole town. The pieces make a nice clicking sound when the magnets snap together.

For the photo challenge called Vibrant.

See my other entry for red plates at an antique store.

Abandoned and Blue

If you can hold out for a few cold months, they will come back for you. Stay strong.

Picking Up the Pieces

I guess that’s one interpretation of “Please clean up the puzzles.”

Half-assedly throw them all into a bucket.

Not what I had in mind…

Photo Challenge: Broken — Toys

Good God, look at all that pollen on the balcony railing. We could really use some rain.

Poor Iridessa. Her head has been glued back on twice, but it just won’t stay. Fawn’s wing broke off last week, and I haven’t attempted to fix it yet. I don’t think it’s going to work based on the constant head falling off that our light fairy is experiencing. It made me think of Dumb and Dumber, and I need Jim Carrey to scream, “Our toys’ heads are falling off!!”

A while back, Tinker Bell’s wings popped off of her body and were easily superglued back on, but the head and wing are cases of the toys breaking rather than just falling apart. The good news is that Vidia is back in the mix after her months-long disappearance under the couch, so I hope that will take the place of these two broken fairies.

This week’s Daily Post theme is Broken.

Terraria Toys

So I have always kind of scoffed at the Minecraft toys that I’ve seen in the stores. I know it’s an incredibly popular game, but I’m thinking, “Really? Did they need to make toys too?”

But, I have to admit that when I saw these Terraria toys for sale in Target right next to the Minecraft display, I felt strangely proud 😛

Seriously though? Who wants to buy this?

Go for it, Terraria, get some of that merch cash!

Photo101: Mystery

I think I see something…

For the assignment called Mystery, I thought I would try to photograph something strange that’s been appearing in my plants lately. A small shadow that disappears as soon as I notice it.

Today was my lucky day. It paused long enough for me to get these shots. I moved to the side, trying to get a different view.

Hmm, losing it in the sun now…

And then it was gone. A moment later I saw…

Well…

What looks to be…

A…

A fairy?!

And it actually seemed like she was posing for me. As if she wanted me to see her!

Nice to meet you, little fairy! I’m glad you like my plants!

There!

The assignment said to play with lighting effects, so I made the silhouette and lens flare with bright morning sun.

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Hint: it’s just a Tinkerbell toy 🙂

Photo101: Connect

Connect with these toys

For the assignment called Connect, I used these simple toys. A bunch of these were handed down to me, and I think they are quite old.

Apart, together, and over and over again, these have been transformed into so many things. And that’s just been their short lives in my home.

My kids connect these toys, and these toys connect my kids to me when we use our imaginations and play pretend. We also share a connection with the previous owners, the kids whose hands and minds formed and reformed the toys in countless patterns and ways.